InTheNews [United Kingdom]
May 25, 2007
http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/crime/archbishop-confirms-child-abuse-review-$1088735.htm
The Archbishop of Canterbury has confirmed that a review into child abuse in the church will take place in partnership with the church's safeguarding group.
Dr Rowan Williams has conceded that "errors were made" in the past but that clear polices were now in place to prevent previous "inadequate responses".
The review comes soon after the Bishop of Manchester, the right reverend Nigel McCulloch, ordered an independent inquiry into the files of 850 members of the church to make sure none of them mention outstanding child protection problems.
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| Dr Williams has said there will be a review |
Victims of child abuses cases have called for an inquiry and have warned that members of the clergy who have committed such offences could still be active.
Recently a reverend was jailed for five and half years for sexual offences against children.
David Smith, 52, from St Johns Road in Somerset, was sentenced for sexually abusing six boys over a period of 30 years.
Dr Williams told the Today programme: "What we have agreed to do is to take advice from the church's central safeguarding group, which is the child protection clearing group, on how best to conduct a review.
"We don't just want to look good and so we need to have the best professional advice on how to review these historic cases."
The archbishop added that the church had changed its policy since recent convictions showed offences dated as far back as 30 years ago.
"I fully acknowledge that errors were made in the period that's being discussed - certainly before '95, practice was very variable, very uneven and often not very competent or well informed about the law or best practice," he said.
"We now have, from '95 onwards, a very clear policy about this, which involves avoiding some of these very inadequate responses. We look after it ourselves - prompt reporting to police and social services is built into this."End of story
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